Wildlife Costa Rica

31 January – February 2012

Departing South Africa on 31 January 2012, the tour flies via Atlanta to the capital of San Jose, where one night will be spent before proceeding to Tortuguero National Park for three nights. Tortuguero is the nesting home for hawksbill, loggerhead and pacific green turtles. The park is a wilderness area with many different habitats and a rich and diverse wildlife. There are rainforest, woodland and swamp forest eco-systems as well as coastal and marine areas. The natural inland waterways and canals of Tortuguero provide refuge for many animals and birds and we will have the opportunity of good sightings on a boat trip through these waterways.

The tour then proceeds to Arenal for three nights. Arenal volcano, with its almost perfect cone, soars 1633 meters above sea level and has a crater 140 meters deep. From time to time loud explosions are heard and a mushroom cloud of gray, brown, orange or blue smoke billows out of the top. Arenal is most impressive at night when bursts of fire and red-hot rocks shoot hundreds of feet into the sky while incandescent material cascades down the sides can be seen. Explosions usually happen every few hours and the volcano’s roar is impressive. While in Arenal we will also visit the rainforests walking through the canopies on hanging bridges and experience Costa Rican hospitality while visiting private hot springs and a private plantation.

The itinerary continues to Monteverde Cloudforest Reserve where two nights will be spent exploring the area and its rich diversity of flora and fauna.

From Monteverde, it’s a five hour scenic drive to Tamarindo on the Pacific Coast where we will spend three nights. Here Playa Grande and Playa Langosta are part of the Costa Rican national park system and protected nesting areas for the giant leatherback turtle. While in the area we will also visit the Palo Verde National Park with its twelve different habitats and fabulous array of wild birds and a myriad of exotic creatures.

The tour ends with two nights in San Jose with time to explore this vibrant colonial city before returning to South Africa.

Liz Cotton will be accompanying the group from South Africa and professional local guides will be escorting the group from arrival in San Jose throughout.

If you have any queries, or would like to secure your reservation on this tour, please do not hesitate to contact me on 021 786-2598 or cell 083 357 4855. I look forward to booking you place on this unique tour.

This is a truly magical destination and you will not help but feel inspired by Costa Rica.